Arterial Blood Gases
How It Feels
Collecting blood from an artery is more painful than collecting it from a vein because the arteries are deeper and are protected by nerves.
- Most people feel a brief, sharp pain as the needle to collect the blood sample enters the artery. If you are given a local anesthetic, you may feel nothing at all from the needle puncture, or you may feel a brief sting or pinch as the needle goes through the skin.
- You may feel more pain if the person drawing your blood has a hard time finding your artery, your artery is narrowed, or if you are very sensitive to pain.
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